Camp Getaways

While we love to spend most every waking moment at Pike Camp, we can start to feel a little bit of “cabin fever” if we don’t get out regularly during extended stays.

So, for a short getaway experience, we enjoy traveling to the nearby towns and cities. Each place offers its own unique landscape, attractions, and (last but definitely not least) foods. Ask anyone, I have been known to plan entire trips around food!

Fortunately, this picturesque Northeast region offers a wide variety of potential day trips, including historic towns, coastal cities, and charming seaside villages. So, if you are planning a trip to Pike Camp, or you just happen to be in Charlotte, Maine for some other reason that I am very curious to know more about, please consider visiting some of our favorite places. (And also call me, maybe!)

Oh, and here a few things to know before you go anywhere around here:

• Many places are cash only—so pack those dollar bills, ya’ll!
• You might accidentally end up in Canada—so bring your passport!
• It sometimes spontaneously rains even when the forecast says there’s a “0% chance,” so if you want to stay dry, bring an umbrella.
• Drive-times are unpredictable—you may get stuck waiting for a porcupine to cross the street.
• Bring your best camera—between the breathtaking scenery and abundant wildlife, there is a good chance you will be captivated!

Calais

16 miles

When we say we need to “go to town,” that usually means Calais—a commercial city about 20 minutes from camp. There’s a Wal-Mart Supercenter here, where we’ve gotten groceries, necessities, prescriptions, and even vaccinations. They have basically everything you need—and even some cool Maine souvenirs.

The laundromat is also here. It’s one of the cash-only places I mentioned, and they only take quarters. It’s $5 per wash and $3 per dry. Four loads cost me 128 quarters. Ouch—that was heavy!  

Another key point about the laundromat is that there is no bathroom. And there is no cell service or WIFI. So, if your husband dropped you off for a couple hours to do laundry while he works at the library, and you’ve gotta “go”, don’t bother trying to call him—you’ll have to hold it. And there is no place nearby with a public restroom, so don’t bother walking. Speaking from experience.

But the library is great! Dan has worked there several times, and they have good WIFI. According to the librarian, they have the best WIFI in Calais…

Another fun fact about the library–it was founded by James Shepherd Pike–a distant relative of Dan’s. There is a picture of him in the foyer, as well as several more historical documents. One shows Pike standing in front of his home in Calais in the late 1800’s–the home was moved to a lot down the street, and the library was built in it’s place. Pike’s donation was enough to build the library and fill it with books–and they are still using those funds to add books today!

Dan’s Grampy and his twin brother Roscoe lived with their parents at 52 Church Street in Calais. It is currently the white house with the red metal roof.

There are a few really good restaurants here where we’ve eaten several times:

Jo’s Diner & Pizzeria

If you go on a Wednesday, they have a special deal where if you can eat half of an 18-inch pizza in 8 minutes, the whole pizza is free. We’ve seen several people do it, but most can’t. I think there is no chance I could even come close! And I prefer to taste the food I’m eating, so…

I get the fish sandwich plate—which comes with fries (they call them chips) and coleslaw. Insider tip—if you planned to order the fish and chips platter, it is basically the same as the fish sandwich plate—only you get buns with your sandwich and it costs $2 less.  Dan likes their pizza—which right now is only $5.99 for a 9” personal pan, 1 topping. He gets mushrooms, black olives, or sausage—to which I say, “Yuck”. Who agrees with me on that?

King China

The first time we went to King China, it was because nothing else was open. Lucky for us that we tried it, because the food was amazing! We went back several times. They gave such large portions that Dan and I made 2 more meals out of the leftovers! Highly recommend if you like Chinese food!

St. Croix Tap and Tavern

We found this place doing a google search of the area, and it did not disappoint. Excellent food in a small pub atmosphere. I got fish and chips and Dan got Alfredo pasta. There are even stacks of games and cards in the back corner for anyone to play.

There is a small movie theatre in Calais where we’ve gone many times. This time, we saw two different movies, “Beetlejuice 2” and “Never Let Go”. Both very frightening—but its October, so it’s scary-movie season!

There are three showrooms here, and they are usually open for one showing per day (7pm is when we went). They have one employee who seems to do it all—opens doors and sets up—sells tickets and concessions—starts the films—ushers you in and out, and then closes back down. Maybe she’s the owner? Side note, it’s the only theatre we’ve been to in the last 10 years where the popcorn and candy are less than $3 a box! Yeah–everyone gets a treat—We’ll definitely be back!

On the road to Calais from camp, just off of Rt. 1, you’ll find Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, where there are Eagle and Osprey nests perched high. Pull over if you can and use the telescope or your binoculars to view the nests. There are a pair of bald eagles that have raised 13 chicks there since 1991. We weren’t lucky enough to see any eagles while we were at the nests this time, but we did have a gorgeous view of the fall colors!

St. Stephen

16 miles

If you are going to Calais, you might consider just driving over the bridge into Canada—and you’ll be in St. Stephen. Here, you can visit the Chocolate Museum, try one of the cute little diners (Carman’s was yummy), grab a beverage or a pastry at Tim Horton’s, or go for a scenic stroll along the St. Croix River. There are also lots of cute little antique shops here.

Pembroke

7 miles

Reversing Falls Park, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is a major attraction in Pembroke. It is a beautiful place to picnic and take photographs. Dan and I walked the trail towards the lookout point and sat on a rock for a while and watched for seals. Dan’s eyes are better than mine, and he spotted several jumping up out of the water. I watched one pop his head out of the water, but he was pretty far away. Still, I snapped a nice little mug shot!

If you need a post office, you’ll find the closest one in Pembroke. We needed to go there several times–most importantly, to mail in our ballots!

And while you’re in Pembroke, you really should grab a slice of homemade cheesecake at Coastal Subs across the street. It is SO good! I’d give the steak and cheese sub a thumbs up as well! The Thanksgiving sub is like the Bobbie at Capriotti’s…if you know, you know!

We also attended a sing-along at Pembroke Historical Society. (Thanks to Dan’s dad for the recommendation!) We learned about some of the traditional Maine woods songs from the late 1800’s, such as “The Logger’s Boast.” And we met some really wonderful people—one woman told us about how her grandma and her grandma’s girlfriends used to sit on the banks of the river and watch the ruggedly handsome, shirtless logger men go by, floating down the river on their lumbering route.  The last log floated down the river in 1971—logging days are over.

Eastport

15 miles

Eastport is known for being the Easternmost “City” in the USA.

I love going to Eastport for many reasons. There is a cute main street full of boutiques and artist galleries. I bought a little hand-made skirt of scarves here last year.

I enjoy walking along the waterfront and seeing the big statue of the Maine Fisherman and the Bronze Mermaid.

There is also this wonderful little hat shop with hundreds of handmade hats—and a very friendly owner with lots of great stories to tell.

It is also a family tradition to get a hot dog at Rosie’s—Dan has been doing this since he was little, and his grandparents brought his dad when he was little! We actually went twice this trip—once for hot dogs, and once for fish and chips on the last day before they closed for the season. See you next year, Rosie’s!

Eastport was once the center of the American sardine industry. But, just like the logging days in Pembroke, the sardine days of Eastport are over. These are the remnants of the last operating sardine factory in the area and it’s for sale if anyone is interested. Dan’s grandparents had some sardine-factory history, I’m told. And Grampy loved eating sardines!

Eastport is also home to Raye’s Mustard Mill Museum, but they have been closed to the public for several years. They used to do tours and free samples (the mustard is delicious)! Hopefully the mustard days are not over, and they will open back up soon–we’re almost out of mustard!

Eastport Cemetery–There are some Pike ancestors buried in Eastport–Dan’s 2x great grandparents Lorenzo and Ella Adams. Their daughter Eugenie married Dan’s great grandfather. When we visit, we follow the Pike tradition of stomping on their grave plots to let them know we are there. If you stop by, please say hello for us!

Lubec

32 miles

Lubec is known for being the Easternmost “town” in the USA, with its famous West Quoddy Head Light (the Easternmost point in the USA) and the Quoddy Head State Park. It is a truly magical place with a scenic seashore and rich historic heritage.

One of my favorite things to see in Lubec (besides the lighthouse, of course!) is the McCurdy Smokehouse Museum buildings. This was the last operating commercial herring smokehouse in the USA–which opened in the 1890’s and operated for almost a hundred years! It is fun to see some of the same landmarks that Dan’s grandparents would have seen when they were young.

We went to a Farmers Market on a Saturday morning while we were in Lubec, and I got the most mouth-wateringly delicious tomato I have ever eaten! Also, we bought like half-a-dozen different pastries from the “Pie Ladies” and sat on a picnic bench and shared them. Fabulous!

There is a great gift shop in Lubec, as well, where Dan went several times growing up. He still has some souvenirs from there. This time, I bought some socks and Dan bought a hat–both with the old Maine flag on them.

There is a strong Pike Family history in Lubec. The cemetery has many Pike stones—including Jabez Pike Jr and Sr (Dans 2X and 3x great grandfathers). We do our traditional stomps here, as well. We also found a private street named, “Pike”!

The Congregational Christian Church has a window inside commemorating Jabez Pike and his wife Diana Clark. If the sanctuary is open, go inside and it will be on your front left as you enter. There is also a framed honor roll in the foyer where you will find the name of Dan’s great grandfather Roscoe M. Pike.

The empty lot on the south corner of the church is where Jabez Pike Jr. and Mary H. Parker lived. Dan’s Grampy used to visit his “Grammy Pike” there. The house burned down many years ago, and all that is left are these cement pavers that used to lead to the front door. We have a tradition of walking on the pavers each time we visit. We close our eyes and imagine the young twins– Grampy and Roscoe– walking on them to their Grammy’s house.

We stopped at Monica’s Chocolates on the drive, and if you like chocolate, I’d highly recommend you do, too! Everything is made from scratch in-house. We shared a box of Turtles, and I also got a peppermint patty. Both were absolutely amazing!

Roosevelt’s Campobello Island

34 miles

If you’re in Lubec, I’d highly recommend you cross over the bridge into Canada and visit Roosevelt’s Campobello International Park. It is probably my favorite day trip from camp! It is a memorial to FDR and Eleanor, and a symbol of cooperation between the USA and Canada.

It is a breathtakingly beautiful place! You can tour the cottage where the Roosevelts spent their summers and see each room with its period pieces and décor.

There is a swing set in the yard, and of course we can’t resist a swing set–especially one with pretty fall trees to look at!

One of my top recommendations for the park is to have tea with Eleanor–ask about it in the visitor’s center. They only do it at certain times of day and you’ll need a pass. It is free, and they even give you hot tea and cookies! (It’s yummy tea that was Eleanor’s favorite, and homemade warm, chewy molasses cookies.)

While you’re in the visitor’s center, look for an exhibit about Radcliffe Pike—he was a distant cousin of Dan’s (his great grandfather’s uncle). He had a doctorate in plant science, and was the naturalist for Roosevelt Campobello International Park from 1975 until his death in 1979.

The Hubbard Cottage is also a beautiful place to tour. We were able to watch a pianist play and sing while we were there. There’s this huge oval-shaped picture window in the dining room that is absolutely stunning.

The Porch is a wonderful restaurant on the island where we ate–with a gorgeous view of the ocean.

St. Andrews

39 miles

“St. Andrews by the Sea,” as it is also called, is a lovely resort town with gorgeous scenery everywhere you turn. There is a wonderful grouping of seaside shops and restaurants where I personally could spend hours browsing and snacking.

While we did not visit St. Andrews during this particular trip, we have several times in the past, and I will include a few of those photos.

Other than an amazing shopping experience, St. Andrews has the gorgeous Kingsbrae Gardens you can tour, and inside it are some great miniature playhouses that were made for the children who used to live on the property. We have spent several hours at the gardens.

Perry

9 miles

Polar Treat! I saved best for last. Polar Treat is an absolute must if you’re out this way–especially now that they serve dinner as well as dessert! The Lobster Bisque is delicious! And, here’s our insider tip if you’re getting ice cream. It is a family-owned and operated business, and you will often see kids working there. We’ve been there enough times to notice that the kids give bigger scoops–so wait in line for them if you can! Also, a large cone is enough for 3 servings, so Dan and I bring Tupperware and put 2/3 in the van freezer for later. The Toasted Coconut is Dan’s favorite, and the Peppermint Stick is mine. Yum!

That’s all for now, but there are so many more wonderful places near camp that we didn’t get to this time. We will have to add them to this post when we come back next summer.

Stay tuned for my next post about Bangor, Maine and Acadia National Park. Bye for now!

XOXO